Shock-absorber for automobiles



F. SACKETT.

SHOCK ABSORBER FOR AUTOMOBILES. APPLICATION FILED DEC.31.1920.

1 ,39 6,595 Patented Nov. 8, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

F SACKETT.

SHOCK ABSOHBEH FOR AUTOMOBILES.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 3l. 1920.

1,396,595, Patented Nov. 8, 1921.

gagaizmmm BY mf@ UNITED STATES FILERTUS SACKETT, OF KANSAS CITY,MISSOURI.

SHOCK-ABSORBER FOR AUTOMOBILES.

Specification of Letters Iatent.

Patented Nov. 8, 1921.

Application led December 31, 1920. Serial No. 434,229.

T0 all whom it may conce/ra t Be it known that I, FILERTUS SACKETT, acitizen of the United States, and a resident of Kansas City, in thecounty of Jackson. State of Missouri, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Shock-Absorbers for Automobiles, of which the followingis a full, clear, and exact description.

M v invention relates to improvements in shock absorbers forautomobiles, and it consists in the combinations, constructions, andarrangements herein described and claimed.

An object of my invention is to provide a novel form of shock absorberthat can be operatively applied to an automobile of a well lnown typewithout any changes in the structure of the latter being necessary andwithout the use of special tools.

A further object of my invention is to provide a device of the typedescribed that has means for preventing side sway7 of the body of thevehicle to which applied and for resiliently dissipating the shocks andjars encountered under service conditions without impairing theefficiency of the springs ordinarily installed.

A further object of my invention is to provide a device of the typedescribed that has means for checking the rebound of the body of the carafter each actuation of the springs ordinarily installed in the vehicle.

A further object of my invention'is to provide a device of the typedescribed that is relatively simple in construction and operation, notlikely to get out of order easily, and thoroughly practicalcommercially.

Other objects' and advantages will appear in the followingspecification, and the novel features of the invention will beparticularly pointed out in the appended claims.

My invention is illustrated in the accom.- panying drawings, formingpart of this application, in whichy Figure l is a rear view of afragmentary portion of an automobile, showing the application of a unitof the device thereto,

Fig. 2 is a front view of the same. showing the application of anotherunit of the device,

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a portionr of the element of the deviceshown in Fig. 2,

Fig. 4 is a section along the line 4-4 of Fi 3, I y p Fig. 5 is anelevational view, partly insection,of a portion ofthe apparatus shown inFig". 2,

Figs. G and 'T are respectively side and end elevations of a fragmentaryportion of the apparatus shown in Fig. 2,

Fig. 8 is a top plan view of a portion of the mechanism shown in Figs. 6and 7,

Fig. 9 is a side elevation of a portion of the element shown in Fig. l,

Fig. l0 is an end view of the tions being broken away tions, I

Figs. ll and 12 are, respectively. side and end elevations of afragmentary portion of the apparatus shown inFig. l,

Figs. 13 and 14 are, respectively, top plan and end views of a portionof the mechanism shown in Figs. ll and l2.

In carrying out my invention, I provide a set of shock. absorber unitsor elements comprising a pair of right and left hand units adapted forapplication to an automobile at the rear end thereof and a second pairofvright and left hand units adapted for application to the sameautomobile at the front end thereof. The units of each pair areidentical witheach other in all essential respects and I shall thereforedescribe only one unit of each pair since such description will suliicefor the other unit.

The drawings show the device applied to an automobile of the Foi-d typethat is indicated generally at l since the same is designed primarilyforv application to that ype of vehicle. Obviously. the device can beincorporated in any vehicle having a suitablv constructed chassis. i

Referring now to Fig. l, it will be noted that I provide a rear shockabsorber unit that embodies a rocker lever comprising a pair of members2 and 3 each having the form of a segment of a. disk enlarged along itscurved edge to provide rims 4 and 5, respectively (see Figs. 9 and 10).The rim 4 is formed with a groove 4a in its curved outer wall and therim 5 is provided with a. similar groove 5a. The members 2 and 3 arespaced apart and maintained in fixed parallel relation with each otherby a bolt 6 projected through alined openings in embossed portions 2aland 3a, by a. second bolt 1' that is projected through alined openingsin embossed portions 2b and 3b and by a tubular spacing member 8 that isheld between the bosses 2c and 8c by a pin 9. It will be noted that thebolt 6 connects themembers same, poi'- and shown in sec 2 and 3 atcorresponding ends thereof, .that

the bolt 7 is positionedk a spaced distance from the bolt 6, and thatthe spacing member 8 engages the members at a point approximatelyintermediate their length. The member 2 is provided with a strengtheningrib 10 while the member 3 is provided with a similar rib 11, as bestseen in Figs. 9 and 10 of the drawing.

The grooved rim portions of the members 2 and 3 provide the rails of atrack upon which is mounted a carriage having a curved outer shell 12formed with enlarged side marginal portions 12a and 12b having lateralparallel extensions 13 and 14 adapted to slidably engage the inner wallsof the members 2 and 3. The enlarged marginal portions 12a and 12h areprovided with recesses 15 and 16 extending the length thereof andadapted to receive ball race members 1T and 18, respectively, that areformed to fit the recesses and are maintained in the positions shown byrivets 19. The ball race members 17 and 18 have slightly elongatedopenings 2O extending therethrough and in these openings are disposedballs 21 which'project therethrough to have a rolling contact with thegrooves 4f1 and 5a. The carriage so described is piv otally connectedwith a shock absorber spring 25 at the outer end thereof by means of apin24 that has its ends disposed in bushings 23 that are arranged inregistering openings 22 through the extensions 13 and 14.

The spring 25 preferably comprises a plurality of superposed leaves, butobviously may consist of a single spring member. This spring has itsinner end rigidly secured in a socket 31 of a spring holder 26, as shownin Fig. 11 by means of a bolt 30. The spring holder 26 is secured to aportion 27 of the automobile frame by ,means of U-bolts 28 that areprojected through integral lugs 29 and have nuts 28 screwed thereon. lnthe present embodiment of the invention the holder 26 is formed with anopening 32 near its center and this opening is adapted to reyreive thehead* of a rivet 33 thatforms a part of the automobile frame to whichthe device is applied. The holder 26 is also formed with spaced apartparallel lugs or f lribs 34 and 35 projecting upwardly from the uppersurface thereof and positioned to engage with portions ofthe automobileframe, thereby insuring `absolute rigidity of the holder 26. The rearshock absorber unit is installed by removing the shackle bolt (notshown) `that ordinarily secures a rear spring 36 of the automobile tothe axle housing 38. The spring 36 is then pivotedatits outer end to therockerleverby means of the bolt 6 and the rocker lever is fulcrumed bymeans of the bolt 7 to a lug 37 carried by the axle housing 3 y iReferring nov,7 particularly to Figs. 2 to 5 inclusive,` it will benoted that the fmnt .shock .absorber unit also embodies a rocker levercomprising a pair of members 40 and 41 each having the form of asegmentof a disk enlarged along its outer edge to provide rims 42 and 43that are provided with grooves 42LL and 43a. The members 40 and 41 arespaced apart and held in parallel relation by a bolt 44 projectedthrough openings in embossed portions 40L and 41,

by a second bolt 45 projected through em# bossed portions 40b and 41h,and by the spacer 46 interposed between embossed portions 40c and 41cand held in adjusted position by means of a pin 47. The member 40 has anintegral strengthening rib 48 while the member 41 has a similarstrengthening rib 49 (see Figs. 3 and 5).

Mounted on the track formed by the rim 42 and 43 is a carriage having anouter shell 50 having enlarged side marginal portions 5()a and 50h, suchenlarged marginal portions being formed with parallel lateral extensions51 and 52 adapted to slidably engage with the inner walls of the members40 and 41. The enlarged portions 50a and 50h are provided with recesses53 and 54, respectively, in the under surfaces thereof and ball racemembers 55 and 56 adapted to fit such recesses, are maintained in theposition shown by rivets 57. The ball race members 55 and 56 are formedwith slightly elongated openings 58 in which are disposed balls 59 thatproject therethrough and have a rolling contact with the grooves 42a and43a. pivotally connected at its outer end to the carriage by means of apin 61 that has its ends mounted in alined openings 62 and 63 in theextensions 51 and 52, respectively, bushings 64 being provided to spacethe spring 60 from such extensions. The spring 60 isrigidly secured atits inner end in a socket 65 of a spring holding member 66 by means of abolt 67. The spring holding member 66 is rigidly secured to a portion 68of the automobile frame by means of a U-bolt 69 that has its endsprojected through openings 7 0 in lugs 71 that are integral with theholding member, and nuts 72 are screwed on the ends of the U-bolt 69. In

the form of the device illustrated, the spring holding member 66 isformed, as clearly shown in Figs. 6, 7 and 8 and has an opening 72therethrough adapted to receive a bolt 73 that is ordinarily provided inthe automobile to which the device is applied. A nut 74 screwing on thebolt prevents any lateral movement of the holder and consequently thelatter cannot move relative the automobile Vframe. The front shock,Yabsorber unit is applied by removing* the shackle `bolt (not shown) thatordinarily connects a front s ring 75 at its outer end to the front axle6. V,The frontpspringf75 is thenlpivotally connected with the rockerAlever Ain the front shock absorber nnit ward each other.

means of the bolt 44 and the rocker lever is fulcrumed by means of thebolt 45 on a lu 77 that is integral with the axle 76.

rom the foregoing description of the various parts of the device, theoperation thereof may be readily understood. lVhen the device is innormal inoperative position and no load is applied to the springs 36 and75. the carriages will be in neutral positions relative the rockerlevers and the rims of the latter are curved so that any movement-of therocker levers about their fulcrums imposes a stress on the carriageswhich is communicated to the shock absorber springs 25 and 60. Thelatter therefore resiliently resist the attempted movement of the rockerlevers in other direction. In service the springs 36 andT will be moveddownwardly and upwardly on account of the shocks and jars occasioned byinequalities in road surface or other causes. As the springs 36 and 75are moved downwardly, the outer ends thereof will be moved outwardly orin opposite directions, thereby tending to cause movement of the upperportions of the rocker levers in the units of each pair to- However,since the surface of each rocker lever is curved to impose a stress oneach carriage when moved, the downward movement of the springs 36 and 75will be resiliently resisted and the shocks and jars completelydissipated without beingr communicated to the rigid members of theautomobile or other vehicle to which the device is applied. Likewise,attempted movements of the springs 36 and 75 upwardly are resilientlyresisted since stress is imposed on the carriages by such movement.

It is obvious that the action of the shock absorber units will be suchthat the body of the vehicle to which the device is applied is preventedfrom swaying from side to side and that the movement of the body eitherupwardly or downwardly on account of shocks and jars or the like isuniform. The device can be quickly and readily applied without it beingnecessary to make any changes in the ordinary construction of thevehicle for which the device is primarily designed.

I claim:

l. In a device of the character described, a leaf spring rigidly securedat its inner end to the body of a vehicle, a rocker lever having acurved segmental rim portion and being pivoted at one end to the outerend of said leaf springs, said rocker lever being fulcrumed on therunning gear at a spaced distance from the end connected with the leafspring, a second spring member having its inner end rigidly secured tothe vehicle body, and a carriage carried by said second named springmember at its outer end and mounted on the curved rim of the rockerlever in position to resiliently resist movement of the latter about itsfulcrum.

2. In a device of the character described, a leaf spring secured to thebody of a vehicle, a rocker lever having a curved segmental rim portionand being pivoted at one end to the outer end of said leaf spring, saidrocker lever being fulcrumed on the running gear at a spaced distancefrom the end connected with the leaf spring, and means rigidly connectedto the body of the vehicle and arranged to constantly engage the rimportion of the rocker to yieldingly resist movement of the latter aboutits fulcrum from normal osition.

3. In a device of the character described, a leaf sprin rigidly securedat its inner end to the lbody portion of a vehicle, a rocker leverhaving a curved segmental rim portion and being pivoted at one end tothe outer end of said leaf spring, said rocker lever being fulcrumed onthe running gear of the vehicle at a spaced distance from the endconnected with the leaf spring, a curved spring member having its innerend rigidly secured to the vehicle body, and means carried by saidsecond named spring member at its outer end and arranged to have arolling contact with the curved rim of the rocker lever constantly toresiliently resist movement of the latter about its fulcrum.

FILERTUS SACKETT.

